Adjustable and interchangeable form for hollow wall construction



Dec. 11, 1923..

l. J. KUERT ADJUSTABLE A'ND INTERCHANGEABLE FORM FOR HOLLOW WALL CONSTRUCTION Fil ed D80. 29. 1922 2 She9tS-$h66t 1 Dec. 11,1923: 1,477,065 l. J. KUERT I ADJUSTABLE AND INTERCHANGEABLE FORM FOR HOLLOW WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 29. 1922' 2 Sheets-Sheet z 29 o o o o o n a o o o o 0 O O 5 O 0 g 0 5 0 o o o o o u o o 0 o o o O 0 O O O 0 /lmmwr I a. 4 'V I 59 I95 y,

Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE.

IRA J. KUERT, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ADJUSTABLE AND INTERCHANGEABLE FORM FOR HOLLOW WALL CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed December 29, 1922. Serial No. 609,599.

to provide a collapsible interior form for hollow cement walls. Another object of the invention is to provide a substantial, practicable and reusable metal hollow core or form structure for use in the erection of concrete walls. A further object is to provide a hollow wall form or core consisting of side 2 panel elements and overlapping end elements combined with means for expanding and contracting the panel elements to set them in position in preparing for casting and to facilitate the withdrawal of the inner 5 form-after the wall has set.

Other objects and advantages will be made manifest in thefollowing specification of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a. vertical transverse section through a. wall built upon the set up internal hollow form.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the wall showing the form in collapsed position and as being withdrawn from the hollow wall.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of fragments of elements of the contracting apparatus.

Fig. 1 is a plan of the distended or expanded form.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the expanded form.

Fig. 6 is a plan of the transverse panel contracting means.

Fig. 7 is a plan of the longitudinal and transverse contracting means.

Fig. 8 is a detail of a pullinghook.

The present form consists of a unit structure formed of sections or panels preferably of sheet metal which, while they may be of uniform length to obtain a unit of given height, may be of various width so that by the proper selection of panels of difi'erent width, a hollow internal form for makin a hollow concrete wall W may be produceti In'Figs. 4 and 5 a mold unit is shown as consisting of a number of side panels 2, 3,4 and 5 of suitable length and width and which are adapted toform one side of a core or under form with the outer face substantially in a common plane as nearly as may be obtained, allowance being made for the slight offset produced by the overlapping or contiguous vertical edges of the.

panels 2, 3, a and 5. It is tobe understood that any number of such panels may be utilized in the formationv of a unit form and directly opposite to each of the panels here designated as 2, 3, 1 and 5 are companion panels 2, 3 4 and 5, these obviously respectively havin widths equal to their co-ordinate panels, ail for facilitating manufacture, erection and use of a unit form.

To the endpanel elements of the two walls of the unit there are secured transverse end closure forming elements which are here shown as angle strips 6 and 7 respectively secured to the end panels 2 and 5 so as to present inwardly turned webs or flanges 6 and 7 a to overlap inwardly turned flanges 8 and 9 of corner elements 8 and 9 secured to the end sections 2 and 5. The overlapping flanges 6*, 7, 8 and 9 are designed to shift freely on each other to form end closures to prevent infiltration of cementitious material into the chambers of the forms, a series of which is adapted to be constructed by abutment of one form against another endwise in a row in a given position for construction of awall.

Meeting adjacent edges of the upright panels sections are overlapped to form a sufiiciently tight joint, and means are provided for bracing the side panels of the form in extended position and for contracting the side panels after the concrete. wall has hardened. 7

Such bracing and contracting means includes a series of contracting devices each of which has a vertically extending bar 10, Figs. 1 and '2, of a. length about equal to the height of the form unit, and at suitable spaces along the bar are pivots 11 from which are extended alternately in opposite direction a series of links 12 whose outer ends are pivotally connected at 13 to parallel strips 14.- and 15 of angle iron, preferably. The angle iron strips 1 1-15 are thus capable of being relatively separated in parallel position by movement of the push bar 10 in one direction and are adapted to be contracted, as shown in Fig. 2, by a movement of the bar in an opposite direction.

In the construction of a collapsible unit form of the present type, the parallel angle iron strips 14 and 15 are set with flanges inwardly directed toward each other in a common plane as shown at 1 1 and 15 Fig. 6, and to these inwardly disposed flanges are connected the several expanding and contracting toggle links 12 along contiguous faces. The opposite faces of the flanges 14: and 15 are secured by top rivets 16 and bottom rivets 17 to inwardly directed flanges 18 and 19 of angle strips 18 and 19 which are secured permanently to continguous end portions of respective side panels such as 2, 2, 3, 3 etc., as above identified. By connecting the flanges l4: and 15 only at their top and bottom ends to the fixed flanges 18 and 19 of the side forming panels, it willbe seen that the rivets 16 and 17 may be quickly driven out and the contracting means utilized in combination with other panels of diflerent length and width in the construction of different sizes of unit'forms.

As clearly shown in Fig. 4, as many of the transversely connected and vertically arranged sets of expanding or contracting devices may be employed as is necessary in a unit form of given length, and in the erection of a given form the push bars 10 are adapted to be driven downwardly so as to spread the angle strips 1415 and therewith the fixed angle strips 1819 and the side forming wall or-panel members connected thereto. Conversely, when it is desired to contract a form after a wall W has been poured and has set, then the several bars 10 are pulled with the result that the links 12 and their attached angle strips are contracted. This is clearly shown in Fig. 2 and may be accomplished by any suitable form of pulling tackle, here shown as including a hook 20. to engage in an eye in the upper end of the expanding and contracting bar 10 whereby these bars are first pulled up to contract the form, and further hooks 20 having cover plates 21, Figure 8 are shown as connected to the form elements for supporting these and withdrawing the form from the hollow wall. The pulling and elevating tackle may be suitably supported as on a rail or guide bar 22.

To facilitate the contraction of the form and its removal from the cast wall, it is desirable that the form he so constructed that it can contract longitudinally as well as laterally, and such longitudinal contraction may be secured by providing a set of the toggle-like links on each longitudinal wall of the mold at suitable points and so connecting these to continguous wall panels that the connected wall panels can be drawn edgewise as to each other and thus effect a shortening of the form. In Fig. 7 there is shown in detail overlapping portions of panels 3 and 45* on one side and panels 3 and 4 on the other side of the form. To angle strips 18 and 19", above referred to,

are attached a vertical series of links 12, v

toggle devices which are arranged transversely in the form and are adapted to contract the same laterally. 1 Since the contracting angle strips 14.1 are connected only at their upper and lower ends by rivets 16 and 17 to the contiguous form elements, it is desirable to provide a solid connection for the contracting action of the angle strips 141 -15 about midway of their length on the continguous form elements, and such a positive action and means is clearly shown in Fig. 3 as including a lug 25 fixedly secured as on flanges 18 and 19 which are secured fixedly to respective wall panels. The lug 25 turns inwardly across the edge of its respective flange into the path of the contiguous angle strip flange 15",

for instance, so that when the contracting strips pull inwardly they will encounter the lugs 25 and these will serve to take the pressure of the toggle mechanism and will pull inwardly the central portions of the form elements with a uniform movement from top to bottom in collapsing the form.

For the purpose of obtaining a firm interlock of the toggle device in the expanded position, the pivot connections 11 of each push rod are designed to swing below a horizontal line passing through the pivots 13 at the outer ends of the toggle links 12-.

Preferably, the top of each of the forms is substantially closed to keep concrete or other material from falling into the form chamber during operations, and for this purpose I provide a top structure which may consist of substantially flat cover plates 28 of suitable length and having along the parallel edges dowhward lips or flanges 29. A complementary set of the top plates 28 may be provided for each form, and the toggle links with the intermediate push bar 10 and the parallel angle strips 1% and 15 against the contiguous flanges when the toggles are swung to the approximately horizontal position and, therefore, prevent the movement of the toggles downwardly to such an extent as to tend to again contract the side panels.

Further embodiments, modifications and changes may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention as here claimed.

WVhat is claimed is:

1. A unitary collapsible hollow wall form comprising, in combination, sectional side panels and inwardly and oppositely disposed end panels for respective side panels, toggle mechanism extending transversely between the side panels and attached thereto whereby the side panels may be erected in expanded form forming position and whereby the side panels may be contracted after the cast wall has set, the side panels each being formed of relatively edgewise movable portions whereby the side panels can be contracted longitudinally, and toggle means for longitudinally contracting the form.

2. An adjustable and interchangeable form for hollow wall construction comprising substantially parallel side panels, angle iron strips secured to the inside face of the panels and having inwardly projecting flanges, and form contracting means including sets of toggle devices, each toggle device including a pair of spaced angle iron strips attachable to the inwardly projecting flanges provided on the panels, a push and pull bar for each toggle mechanism, and toggle links having inner ends connected to said push bar and having outer bars connected to said angle strips where by the form may be erected in expanded condition to form a chamber within a hollow wall as it is built and for contracting the form panels after the wall has been completed to a predetermined height along the form.

3. An adjustable and interchangeable form for hollow wall construction comprising substantially parallel side panels, an 'le iron strips secured to the inside face of t e panels and having inwardly projecting flanges, and form contract-ing means ineluding sets of toggle devices, each toggle device including a pair of spaced angle iron strips attachable to the inwardly projecting flanges provided on the panels, a push and pull bar for each toggle mechanism, and toggle links having inner ends connected to said push bar and having outer bars con: nected to said angle strips whereby the form may be erected in expanded condition to form a chamber within a hollow wall as it is built and for contracting the form panels after the wall has been completed to a predetermined height along the form, the form panels being constructed'of sections adapted to be longitudinally contracted for shortening the form. x v

4:. An adjustable and interchangeable form for hollow wall construction comprising substantially parallel side panels, angle iron strips secured to the inside face of the panels and having inwardly projecting flanges, and form contracting means including sets of toggle devices, each toggle device including a pair of spaced angle iron strips attachable to the inwardly projecting flanges provided on the panels, a push and pull bar for each toggle mechanism, toggle links having inner ends connected to said push bar and having outerbars connected to said angle strips whereby the form may be erected in expanded condition to form a chamber within a hollow wall as it ishuilt and for contracting the form panels after the wall has been completed to a predetermined height along the form the form panels beingconstructed of sections adapted to be longitudinally contracted for shortening the form, and toggle mechanism connecting continuous edges of the form sections for contracting the same.

5. In a collapsible hollow form, oppositely disposed wall forming panels, and toggle mechanism connected to said panels for expanding and holding the same expanded or separated and for contracting the panels to collapse the form, said toggle mechanism including links pivoted at inner ends to a common thrust element and having stop shoulders at their outer ends to limit movement of each link in one direction when the form panels are fully expanded.

6. In a collapsible hollow form, oppositely disposed walls consistingjof longitudinally adjustable sections, each of which sections is built up of interchangeablevpanels whereby the walls of the form may be made of any desired length by use of panels of different width in the said sections.

In testlmony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

"IRA Kama, 

